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The music tour was a full success!
Caravaan and CPA managed to engage a colorful group of people to participate in the 6 shows in Northern Uganda.
Even before the stage was set up, the truck, the PA system and all the weird looking cables attracted a huge number of children. Once the loud speakers were connected and the music started, an even bigger number of people made their way to the venue and formed a diverse audience.
The stage hosted the well-known band “Baxmba Waves” from Kampala with their jazz rhythms, the Northern local stars “Bosmick” and “Tongweno”, drama groups with their educational pieces on HIV, dance and music groups with their “dungus” and thumb pianos and many other singers, dancers and story tellers.
While the show went on, local NGO’s set up their informational stands on water, sanitation and agriculture. The Uganda Blood Bank was pleased by plenty of willing blood donors and the lines of people wanting to check their HIV status became longer and longer. The Youth Truck offered cooperative games and sports for children and youth. They could barely manage the huge crowd of children wanting to grab a piece of the parachute and become engaged in this interesting game. In some of the camps children received deworming and vitamin A tablets as well as vaccinations against measles and polio.
The shows lasted between 5 to 6 hours, depending on the time the stage was fully set up and the time we were advised to leave the camps to be safe from rebel attacks on our way back into town.
Shows were carried out in Pabbo, Paicho, Koch Goma (all in Gulu district), Kaunda Ground (Gulu town), Balastock Farm and Obim Rock (both in Lira district).
Organizations that participated in one or more of the events were AIC, TASO, Gulu Youth Center, ACORD, Uganda Red Cross Society, Uganda Blood Bank, Comboni Samaritans, PCY Youth Truck, Health Alert, AMREF, Marie Stopes, War Child Holland, Koch Goma Health Center, Anaka Hospital, Gulu Independent Hospital, Family Planning Association.
The music tour was sponsored by Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA), Christian Aid (UK), Save the Children in Uganda and Abbott (USA).
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